Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Lent - the 40 days leading up to Easter - was traditionally a time of fasting and on Shrove Tuesday, Anglo-Saxon Christians went to confession and were "shriven" (absolved from their sins). A bell would be rung to call people to confession. This came to be called the “Pancake Bell” and is still rung today.

Shrove Tuesday always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday, so the date varies from year to year and falls between February 3 and March 9.

Shrove Tuesday was the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast and pancakes are the perfect way of using up these ingredients.

A pancake is a thin, flat cake, made of batter and fried in a frying pan. A traditional English pancake is very thin and is served immediately. Golden syrup or lemon juice and caster sugar are the usual toppings for pancakes.

The pancake has a very long history and featured in cookery books as far back as 1439. The tradition of tossing or flipping them is almost as old: "And every man and maide doe take their turne, And tosse their Pancakes up for feare they burne." (Pasquil's Palin, 1619).

The ingredients for pancakes can be seen to symbolise four points of significance at this time of year:
Eggs ~ Creation
Flour ~ The staff of life
Salt ~ Wholesomeness
Milk ~ Purity

To make 8 or so pancakes you will need 8oz plain flour, 2 large eggs, 1 pint milk, salt.

Mix all together and whisk well. Leave to stand for 30 minutes. Heat a little oil in a frying pan, pour in enough batter to cover the base of the pan and let it cook until the base of the pancake has browned. Then shake the pan to loosen the pancake and flip the pancake over to brown the other side.

In the UK, pancake races form an important part of the Shrove Tuesday celebrations - an opportunity for large numbers of people, often in fancy dress, to race down streets tossing pancakes. The object of the race is to get to the finishing line first, carrying a frying pan with a cooked pancake in it and flipping the pancake as you run.

The most famous pancake race takes place at Olney in Buckinghamshire. According to tradition, in 1445 a woman of Olney heard the shriving bell while she was making pancakes and ran to the church in her apron, still clutching her frying pan. The Olney pancake race is now world famous. Competitors have to be local housewives and they must wear an apron and a hat or scarf.

Each contestant has a frying pan containing a hot pancake. She must toss it three times during the race. The first woman to complete the course and arrive at the church, serve her pancake to the bellringer and be kissed by him, is the winner.

At Westminster School in London, the annual Pancake Grease is held. A verger from Westminster Abbey leads a procession of boys into the playground where the school cook tosses a huge pancake over a five-metre high bar. The boys then race to grab a portion of the pancake and the one who ends up with the largest piece receives a cash bonus from the Dean.

In Scarborough, Yorkshire, on Shrove Tuesday, everyone assembles on the promenade to skip. Long ropes are stretched across the road and there maybe be ten or more people skipping on one rope. The origins of this custom is not known but skipping was once a magical game, associated with the sowing and sprouting of seeds which may have been played on barrows (burial mounds) during the Middle Ages.

The things you learn on this blog!!!!

Check out this shot!!!

This is not photo shopped in any way and I took this with my little camera..if you want to read about this amazing day go back to May 5th 2016!!!!

Monday, February 27, 2017

Did not have any work outs scheduled for today so after breakfast I decided to walk into town and do some chores much easier on foot and I reckon I walked about 5 miles.

This man was working across the street and I took this shot from my window he started hammering away on the sidewalk around 8 am and when I came back from town after 1 pm he was still working must be very hard manual and hot work!!! So I took him a bottle of Gatorade!!!

Then spent a couple of hours on my patio the weather has been so lovely for weeks now very unusual for this time of the year.

One of the things I like to do once in a while is just sit and go to my blog archives pick a month and a year and see what i did...it brings back wonderful memories and this shot below is of the waterfall Tamun in the state of San Luis Potosi......it is only accessible by row boat and I shall never forget rounding the corner and seeing this magnificent sight!!!

waterfall called Tamun

My English class tonight was another delight I had printed off a story about a young girl and how anything is possible and I know they enjoyed reading and talking about the girl!!!

Sunday, February 26, 2017

At the Birthday party last I met a couple of my tennis buddies who wanted me to show them the canyon and bridge hike so this morning we met and off we all went on the hike...the day was sunny and lovely and warm..

After about 40 minutes we reached the cross and the great view...

They all look happy right????

ALYS CAROLYN MATTHEW DIANE

Then we get to the suspension bridge and I get a few "what you want me to walk over that?? Really looks!!!"

But they did it!!

First Carolyn and her Grand daughter Alys!!!

Then I managed to capture this guy flying by!!!!

Then it was Diane and Mathew's turn!!!!

Then into the canyon where it is so peaceful and serene!!!

They all said how great a hike it was and I just made them promise that they would do the same hike in the rainy season when the area is so lush and two wonderful wild and glorious waterfalls cascade through the canyon!!!

Tonight I went to visit my friend Sara and she showed me how and we cooked a huge batch of pea soup...I love the soup and now confident that I can make it on my own!!!!!

Saturday, February 25, 2017

My day starts the usual Saturday morning way with tea and watching a live soccer game from England...I just have time after the game to get dressed and get myself to the tennis courts for another 2 hours of wonderful fun on the courts....

Just relaxed the rest of the afternoon until it was time to go downstairs to help celebrate Karen's Birthday!!!!

This is the view from my deck!!!

It was a lovely party about 50 people attended and here are the hosts Birthday girl Karen and Gregg!!!!

I received an e mail from my friend Bonnie who lives in Victoria on Vancouver Island telling she was out walking her dog and saw an RV that reminded her of my motor home..then she sent me a photo and sure enough it was Ramona!!!!

I had six wonderful years with Ramona seeing all of Canada, USA and Mexico!!!

Friday, February 24, 2017

The Mexican national flag is a symbol of freedom, justice and citizenship. Its shield and colors represent the origins, principles, courage and struggle of the Mexican nation.

Over the years, different flags have represented Mexico, but the flag that was used in the Declaration of Independence, with some modifications, is the flag that currently represents Mexico.

On February 24, 1935, Benito Ramirez an employee of the Bank of Mexico, organized a guard of honor in tribute to the Flag of Mexico and this practice continued until 1940, when President Lázaro Cárdenas declared that February 24 was officially Flag Day.

From then on, every year Mexicans honor the flag with ceremonies that commemorate the heroes who gave their life for Mexico’s freedom and independence.

The flag of Mexico, was born in 1821 when Agustín de Iturbide was inspired to represent in it the guarantees that all Mexicans would have when the independence of Mexico was declared.

During the declaration of the Plan of Iguala, Iturbide wore a flag with three colors, white, green and red, arranged in diagonal stripes and a gold star on each color.

The rights or guarantees that Iturbidedeclared werereflected in the flag: white represented the Catholic religion, which was the only religion accepted, green stood for the Independence of Mexico from Spain and red equality and unity of Mexicans with Spaniards .
When the Trigarante Army reached Mexico, Agustín de Iturbide carried the flag and proclaimed the independence of Mexico.

During Iturbide‘s rule as Emperor of Mexico, the flag underwent some modifications, the stripes became vertical and had a crowned eagle in the white colored center.

After the fall of Agustín de Iturbide in 1823, the Constituent Congress declared the tricolor flag as the official flag but with modifications.

The eagle was stripped of the imperial crown and it is represented with open wings; at the foot of it, placed branches of laurel and oak were placed.

The meaning of the colors also changed, white represents purity, hope is the green color and red represents the blood lost by our heroes of the Independence struggle.

Over the years and during the presidency of Porfirio Diaz, other elements of the shield were modified.

It was during the presidency of Gustavo Diaz Ordaz with the declaration of the Law on the Characteristics and Uses of the Coat of Arms, the Flag and the National Anthem” that the current flag was made official, through article 3 of this law.

The Flag of Mexico is divided into three segments, green, white and red respectively and in the center is the national emblem, which consists of an eagle on a cactus in the middle of a lagoon, devouring a snake.

The shield has its origins in the ancient Aztec legend about the founding of Tenochtitlan.

3rd article states:

Article 3.- The National Flag consists of a rectangle divided into three vertical stripes of identical dimensions, with the colors in the following order from the flagpole to the right: green, white and red.

On the center of the white strip, is the national shield, with a diameter of three quarters of the width of this strip. The ratio between width and length of the flag is four to seven. A bow of the same colors may be placed at the top of the pole.

An official copy of the National Flag, authenticated by the three branches of government, shall remain in the General Archives of the Nation and another one in the National History Museum.

Today I took 5 other people hiking to my favorite canyon hike......on the way there we passed this brick making area

It really is another world..this family working in bare feet in the heat and this girl was no more than 9 years old...hard to imagine this scene is only a 15 minute walk from town!!!!

We hiked up to the cross where the views especially on a day like today were awesome!!!!

Everyone was brave enough to get out on the suspension bridge!!!

Then we had lunch in the canyon and they all agreed it is a beautiful quiet and serene place!!!!

On the way back to town we stopped an spoke to the owner of a small property..he was a young Mexican man who spoke great English and is starting a business building small homes made out of pallets and straw!!!

He insulates the pallets with clay and straw...

and this is the finished product!!! a very bright and innovative guy!!!!

With unusual hot weather for the last 6 weeks the Jacaranda trees, my favorites, are now starting to bloom!!!

BATTERED Britain is now on flood alert as the nation cleans up a trail of destruction left by killer Storm Doris.

Warnings for up to four inches rain are in place tomorrow triggering a raft of flood alerts around the country.

Heavy snow in parts of Scotland and the north will melt as temperatures lift causing water to gush from hilly regions.

The Environment Agency (EA) has issued flood alerts across northern England, East Anglia and Wales

Government forecasters warn of a “return to wet and windy weather” tomorrow after a chilly end to the week.

Ice alerts have been issued across much of northern England and Scotland this morning after temperatures were forecast to plunge below freezing last night.

The Met Office said more than an inch of snow could fall even across low ground in Scotland with untreated roads likely to freeze over.

Forecaster Oli Claydon said: “With temperatures expected to come down on Thursday night there will be an ice risk on Friday morning.

“Friday will be more settled, certainly after the effects of Storm Doris, although there will be rain in the north.

There will be an ice risk on Friday morning

Oli Claydon

“On Saturday we see a return to wet and windy weather with heavy rain in the northwest as temperatures will return to more normal values for the time of year.”

Deputy chief meteorologist Dan Harris added: “Saturday will see further strong winds and another spell of wet weather, particularly over the northwest of the UK where the rain is likely to be locally heavy and persistent.”